Kiosks allow companies to provide personal in-store service to customers through contact with remote agents in a contact center. These types of kiosks can improve customer service, reduce the demand on local staff, and can provide expertise that is not present locally. However, a problem with kiosks is that a customer is tied to the location of the kiosk. This can result in situations where high quality of service cannot always be obtained.
For example, being tethered to the kiosk prevents a customer from conversing with a contact center agent while going to another location in a store that may have a specific product or service in which the customer is interested. Another problem is that long lines can form at the kiosk. These long lines can result in poor customer satisfaction if a user has to wait for a long period of time to use the kiosk. Another problem is that the kiosk may not afford the privacy necessary to comfortably complete the interaction with the contact center agent. These and other deficiencies still limit the usefulness of a kiosk.